


Elements and Bonds

by orphan_account



Series: Elemental AU [1]
Category: Lunch Club, Lunch Club (Podcast), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Electricity, Elemental Magic, Fantasy, Fire, Ground Magic, Ice Magic, Magic, Plant Magic, Superpowers, Water Magic, air magic, if i see any shipping ill take your kneecaps and EAT THEM, snow magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24394903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: this story is incomplete and will stay incomplete. I'm sorry.There are those with special powers. Powers connected to the very planet itself. Elementals. Despite their power, they are treated as outcasts in the world.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationships - Relationship
Series: Elemental AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761529
Comments: 103
Kudos: 168





	1. A World on Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo basically I dug myself into a hole with that last story. This is me digging back out, or deeper down, I'm not sure. This will explain where they're all from, how they met, etc. Hope you enjoy!

Fact: Noah’s village is on fire. Another fact: his electricity doesn’t seem to be doing anything to stop it. 

He woke up to the end of his bed being strangely hot, then he realized that heat was actual, burning fire. 

As soon as he stopped screaming and put out his foot, he ran outside to see what was happening. He saw a world on fire. This wasn’t any normal fire either. He didn’t leave the fireplace burning with no cover. No, this fire came not from something, but some _ one _ . And that someone was currently at the center of his village.

Noah got as close as he could to the fire one could when trying not to get burned alive. 

His hands crackled with electricity as he tried to somehow shock the fire away. 

It didn’t work. Unfortunate. 

“Hey, can you hear me? Guy who’s burning down my village?” He shouted. No response.

“Y’know, it’s kind of rude to do that without permission!”   
A man partially on fire ran past him. “What are you doing, you madman?” He screamed. “Run, that’s an elemental, you-” He saw the electricity surrounding Noah. Fear entered his eyes, pairing well with the fire already reflected in them. Without another word, he sprinted away. 

Noah sighed.  _ ‘So much for hiding it’ _ , he thought to himself. 

“Hey, asshole! You’re still burning down the village!” Still no response, but he could’ve sworn the fire moved… differently for a moment.

“I’m gonna lose all my things that have sentimental value, you prick!”   
“Sorry,” The fire said. 

Noah jumped. “Wh- Did you just talk? I thought you were a person in there.”    
“I am, idiot.” Noah turned. Oh. He was  _ behind _ him. A tall man covered in fire, but he wasn’t burning.

“Well, took you long enough to say something. It’s rude to ignore people, y’know.”   
“Yeah, you also said it’s rude to burn down villages, and-” The man shot a burst of flame towards a house that wasn’t completely burnt down yet. “Look at that, there I go again!”   
He looked at Noah. “At least you’re not being burnt alive right now. You’d be a pile of smoking flesh if it weren’t for me.”    
“Oh great,” Noah said sarcastically. “My greatest wish: being in the middle of an inferno and having an argument with some asshole.”    
“Hey, I don’t want to be talking to you either, but you wouldn’t fuckin’ leave.”   
“Could’a killed me, coward.”   
“I’m not  _ that _ evil.”   
“Well, I’m still here. And I’m not leaving until you put out these fires.”   
“At least you’re not trying to  _ electrocute _ the fire. You were doing absolutely nothing with that.”   
“Oh yeah, that’s another rude thing. You outed me as an elemental, so now I’m gonna get kicked out of the village.”   
“What village, idiot? I only see a bunch of burnt down houses.”

“Houses that  _ you burnt down. _ ”    
“Semantics. And anyway, what’s the point of hiding it in the first place? Why not just-”   
“Live on the road and eat out of trashcans, like most other elementals? Yeah, I prefer a roof over my head.”   
“Good luck finding one now. I’ve been burning down most of them.”   
“ _ Why? _ ” 

“It’s my stress relief!”

“ _ Find a different stress relief! _ ”

“You want to find one for me, asshole? You’re talking to the pyromaniac.”    
“I don’t know, something that’s less… destructive?”   
“ _ You’re talking to the pyromaniac _ ”

Noah looked around. The village was definitely thoroughly burnt down, but the pyro seemed to not be finished. 

“Hey, if you’re not stopping, I’m going to wait here until you finish.”   
“Jesus Christ man, do you ever give up?”

“Never. I’ve been told it’s my best trait.”   
“Definitely your worst, not your best.”

Noah stayed true to his word. He pulled out all the stops. He followed the pyro around, asking the stupidest questions he could think of. Occasionally he would shock the back of his ankles, making him almost trip. Sometimes he wouldn’t even say anything. He would just go silent, staring for as long as he could. 

Finally, the man caved.

“Fuck! Fuck! I’ll fucking stop, Jesus Christ!” The man yelled. He slashed his arm, and almost immediately all the fire went out. He turned to face Noah. “Alright, are ya happy now?”   
Noah grinned. “I’m impressed you lasted as long as you did.”   
“Yeah, that’s what most women say when I-” He cut himself off. “Sorry, reflex.”

“So you have a sense of humor, huh?” Noah said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, they call me the comedian.”

“Well comedian, they call me Noah.” He extended a hand. 

The pyro took it. “Schlatt is fine. And listen, you’re an annoying motherfucker, but I’m guessing you don’t have many other places to go. You could come with me, y’know.”   
“Really? We just met. I’ve been bothering you this whole time, man.”   
“Hey I mean, it gets kinda lonely just walking around and burning down villages.”   
Noah scratched his chin. “You do seem like you’d need someone to stop you from doing that.”   
“Leave my  _ perfectly healthy stress relievers alone _ , Noah.”   
Noah laughed. “Yeah, fuck it. I definitely won’t be allowed here anymore.”

“It won’t be cushy, y’know.”   
“Do you want me to come or not?”   
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just warning you.”   
And so the two set off, a pair of outcasts carrying only their wit and the clothes on their back.

_ White walls, white floors. Lights beaming down from above constantly. Silence, overwhelming silence. He doesn’t eat. He doesn’t have to. Someone… something gives him the nutrients to survive. Almost-real snow floats down around him. It seems real, until it touches bare skin. Then it  _ burns _ , like a flick of acid. Once a week, he’s pulled out for “tests”. At least, he thinks it’s once a week. Time flicks by in moments of misery.  _

_ “A storm is coming” they say. He explodes into a flurry of ice, snow, cold. It doesn’t matter what he does. They just want him to use his powers. They just want to see what his limits are.  _ _   
_ _ “A storm is coming,” The only words he ever hears. _

_ The silence is terrifying. The words they say are worse than silence could ever be. _

_ He endures. He wishes he wouldn’t. _

_ The snow burns his skin. The silence is terrifying. The words they say are worse than silence could ever be.  _

_ It’s hell, but he always thought hell would be hot. _


	2. Trees out of Nowhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

Ted Nivison sleeps like a rock.

Carson would know, he’s been around rocks his whole life.

“Ted,” Carson says, gently kicking the sleeping figure. “Ted, get up you asshole.”

“Mmmmfuckoffimtired,” Ted slurs, rolling over. 

“Ted, you realize I made the tents, right? I can just get rid of them.”   
“Don’t care,” he mumbles. “Lemme sleep.”   
Carson sighed. “Fine, you’re asking for it.” He raises his hands, focusing on the stone “tent” around them. Quickly snapping his hands down, he sends the walls back into the ground, leaving the sun to shine down on them.    
“Sure is bright, huh?” Carson said, shading his eyes.

Ted reluctantly sat up, glaring daggers at Carson. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you, you know that?”

“Love you too!”   
“Jesus Christ,” Ted covered his eyes. “What time is it?”   
“It’s uh…” Carson looked up at the sun. “Some time between morning and afternoon. Speaking of which, now that you’re up, can you make food?”   
“You haven’t eaten anything?”   
“I almost ate some berries I found, but I’m pretty sure they were poisonous.”   
“I have to do everything around here, huh?” Ted groaned as he stood up. “Can you get the pan? I’m making breakfast.”

“I got you, man.”   
The two busied themselves making breakfast, backs turned to the horizon. They were so focused they almost didn’t notice the giant tree that sprang from the ground, no more than two or three miles away. Almost.

It wasn’t their fault, mostly. The tree, for one, came out of nowhere. One wouldn’t expect to see it there. Secondly, it made no noise coming out, save for the smallest rumble.

The tree was only noticed when Ted happened to turn and swat a fly, only to spot the tree that  _ definitely _ wasn’t there 10 minutes ago. 

“Hey Carson, do you remember that tree being there?”   
“What tree?” Carson turned. “Oh.  _ That _ tree.”   
“Has it always been there?”   
“No, I don’t think so.”   
“It’s probably some powerful-ass elemental.”   
“Yeah, probably.”   
“...Let’s finish breakfast first.”   
“Yeah, lets.”

It probably wasn’t the  _ best _ idea to wait, considering they didn’t know why or how the tree seemingly popped into reality, but the only thing on the two men’s minds was breakfast.

Not to say they didn’t pick up the pace, however. Elementals are far and few to find, and when one meets another they tend to stick together. The pair swiftly finished their food, setting off to find the source of the tree.

“Ted, can we fast travel there?” Carson panted.

“We have been walking for maybe five minutes, and you want to fast travel.”  
“Yes! It’s hot as hell, Ted.”  
“Nahh, c’mon! Some fresh air is good for you!”  
“You realize fast travel is you _using the air to carry us, right?_ _You realize you’re an air elemental, right?_ ”   
Ted chuckled. “Yeah, and?”  
“I hate you so much.”  
“This is what you get for waking me up at buttfuck in the morning, asshole.”  
“ _It was like 10 or something, but whatever, TED!_ ”   
“I could do fast travel just for myself. Leave you in the dust.”  
“Fine, I’ll lay off it. But know I’m angry.”  
“I’m sure you are!”  
  
Travis was absolutely terrified. What was he thinking? Of _course,_ a village wouldn’t be happy to see he was an elemental! So what if _he_ knew he wasn’t dangerous? They didn’t, and now he’s stuck in a tree looking at them try to climb it. 

“Shoot, I’m really in it now, aren’t I?” He muttered.

“Hey! Come down, ya coward!” Someone from below yelled. “You can’t stay up there forever, eventually you’re gonna have to!”   
Travis flinched. It was true, like it or not. Plant powers can’t fill an empty belly, and it didn’t seem like these people were leaving anytime soon. He had to hope, wish, pray,  _ whatever _ that someone friendly will help. 

And his wish came true.

“ _ Finally _ ,” Carson groaned as they reached the tree. “Man, that’s a lot of people.”   
“It is,” Ted agreed. “Hey, what’s going on?” He shouted at the crowd. “We saw that tree from almost 2 miles away.”   
A man spit on the ground. “There’s one of them  _ elementals _ up there, hiding like a coward.”   
Carson brightened. “Oh! Then maybe we can help. We’re elementals too, so-”   
The man looked disgusted. “There’s more of ya?”   
“Wait, more elementals? Where?” Another yelled.

“Get’em!” 

The crowd was practically a hive mind. Almost at once they all turned to attack Ted and Carson.

“That might have not been the smartest thing to say, Carson,” Ted said, seizing his arm.

“No, I don’t think so. Fly!”   
With that, Ted sent them soaring into the sky, heading to the very top of the tree, only to see the face of an elemental. One that was scared shitless.

_ Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake.  _

_ He fucked up. He fucked up. He fucked up. He fucked up. He fucked up. He fucked up.  _

_ They took away his powers.  _ **_They took away his powers._ **

_ The collar around his neck chokes him. He’s reduced to a husk. A shell.  _ _   
_ _ He never wanted his powers. They only hurt him. Now he realized that he couldn’t live without them. _

_ But he can’t die, either.  _

_ He’s trapped in a body missing half a soul. _

_ He’s trapped in a room designed to torture him. _

_ And nothing is changing. _

_It may never change._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonder who it could be...  
> Promise I'll reveal it soon :)  
> Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Conversations in Trees

“Hey!” Ted said loudly as they landed near the elemental. “Listen, we’re in a bit of a pickle right now and could really use your help, you’re a plant elemental right? Maybe-”

“Ted, chill.” Carson cut him off. He looked to the elemental, who was practically shaking in his boots. “But we do need help. Are you alright?”   
The elemental said nothing, simply continued to stare wide-eyed.

“We’re not gonna hurt you, I promise.”

He remained silent, but something changed in his eyes. Less of a fear and more of a guard. 

“I promise,” Carson repeated.

The elemental took a shaky breath. “R-right. Right. Yeah. I’m plants. Grass and stuff.” 

“Right, grass, and stuff.” Carson nodded. 

“Sorry about that,” Ted said, taking a step forward. The elemental flinched back. Ted felt a vine curl around his ankle. “Ah, right. Sorry again.”   
“Just-just stay there, okay?”

“Are you hurt at all?” Carson asked, flashing a glare at Ted. “That crowd was pretty angry.”   
“I’m fine. Who are you guys?”   
“I’m Ted!” He stuck his hand out, forgetting again. The elemental lurched back, almost falling off the tree.

“Ted! You gotta stop, man.”

“I’m sorry! I swear I’m not trying to!”

Carson winced. “Are you okay?” He asked the elemental.   
The elemental closed his eyes, taking a breath. “ _ Everything’s fine, everything’s fine. You’re in a sunflower field, everything’s fine, _ ” he muttered. “I’m fine, I’m fine. What’s your name?” He looked at Carson.

“Oh, I’m Carson. And you are?”   
“I’m Travis.”    
“Okay!” Ted said. “We know each other now. Can we please get out of this tree and get the fuck out?”

“That would be nice,” Travis said wistfully. “I miss the ground.”   
“I swear you’ve been here for like,  _ maybe _ an hour, but understandable.” Carson laughed. 

“So wait, you guys are elementals, right?”

“Yeah, I’m air. Carson’s ground.”   
“Ted, do you think you could fly us back to our camp?”   
Ted scratched his chin. “Yeah, but that crowd’s pretty bloodthirsty. They’d probably chase us until we’re caught.”   
“What if…” Travis trailed off. 

“Did you think of something?” Carson asked.   
“Can you make walls?” he said without answering.

“Uhh, yeah? I can only make them about a mile, though.”   
“Oh! Are you thinking we box them in?” Ted said, eyes lighting up.

“Yeah! Or something like that!”   
“That could work, actually.” Carson steepled his fingers. “If I do three walls around them, that should hold them for a while.”   
“Definitely long enough to get back to our camp and get the fuck out,” Ted agreed. “Then we’ll be home free, baby!”   
“We?” Travis asked.

Carson smiled. “I mean if you want to. We’ve got to stick together!”

Travis smiled back, the first they had seen of it. “Thank you, really. Sorry I went nuts on you guys.”   
“It’s fine dude, completely deserved.” Ted chuckled. “I tend to be pretty intimidating, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, when we met, Ted scared me off a cliff and ended up having to save me. It was… an interesting day.”   
“I  _ said _ I was sorry, Carson!”   
“Yeah, and I said I was gonna hold it over you forever!”   
Travis laughed, and for a moment it was almost like they weren’t in a tree hiding from a mob. 

Then they felt something chopping at the trunk.

He’s free. He’s… free. 

The collar is gone. His neck has never felt lighter. He drinks in the moonlight, marveling at every step on the grass. 

To be honest, he doesn’t know how exactly he escaped.

He remembers the power shutting off, darkness enveloping him for the first time since who knows how long. The snow stopping for once.

Then someone- a faceless person. Maybe a woman? It was too dark to tell.

He felt their hands around his neck first. He felt the panic sink in.

_ ‘This is it. I’m dying by the hands of someone I can’t even see.’ _

But- no. He felt the clicking of a lock being unlocked, then a weight lifted from his neck, cool air brushing his skin. 

“What…” He whispered. There was no response, only a push for him to move as the person stepped in front of him.

Their hand gripped his wrist, pulling him gently towards the door.

He followed blindly, confused as all hell but  _ fuck  _ was he happy to not have that collar. It was taking all of his willpower not to make the world’s biggest blizzard.

They led him down winding dark hallways, somehow not tripping while he almost ate shit several times. 

They stopped at a door. It looked normal. The same as the rest of the doors. 

But it felt… different. There was an energy around it that was pulling him towards it.

The person finally turned to look at him, their features still unclear.

“The door is unlocked. Go. You only have a couple more minutes before the power comes back.”   
“What-”   
“Charlie,” The person said urgently. “ _ Go. _ Find others like you, hole up in an ice ball, whatever. Just  _ go, _ before they catch you and lock you up forever.”

“I- Thank you.” He reached for the door, freedom at his fingertips. For a moment, he hesitated. “Can’t you… come with?”   
The person laughed with no humor. “My place is here, like it or not. Go, you idiot.”

“Right. Thank you, again.”   
And then he was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Sunday I'll be posting a link to a discord server for my fics so if you're interested in joining keep a lookout for that!  
> Stay safe if you're going to protests, I'm so proud of each and every one of you <3


	4. Walls a Mile Long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops look at that I'm posting three times in two days-  
> Again, don't get too used to it lmao. I just have a lot of inspiration lately :)  
> hope you enjoy!

“Well that’s a problem,” Ted said as he peered over the edge of the shaking tree. “They’re trying to cut down the tree.”   
Travis winced. “Yeah, and they’re really good at it. Can we go now?”

“That would be smart. Carson, can you do those walls now? Like, quickly?”

“On it,” Carson said.    
Travis wrung his fingers. “I can try to fix the tree as they chop, but I don't know if it would do a lot.”   
“Don’t bother,” Ted said. “No sense wasting your energy on-” The tree dropped lower than comfortable.    
“Ah!” Travis yelped.    
“Carson, we need those walls!” Ted said urgently.

“I’m working on it!” Carson snapped. “It’s a lot of ground to focus on, and this tree moving isn’t helping. I’ve got almost three walls-”    
“That’s good enough! Just do it,  _ quick! _ ”   
They cut it close. Carson managed to bring up the walls just as the tree toppled. 

Ted lunged for the two, grabbing them by the arms tightly. The tree fell, the people below cried out as walls grew around them. 

And then the three turned into wind in the sky.

  
Travis was not expecting to be turned into air. Ted was the first air elemental he ever met, so he had no clue what to expect. 

When they came to “land” at a campsite, he was proud of himself for not throwing up. Of course, he still fell over immediately, but that was just embarrassing. 

Thankfully, Ted and Carson didn’t mind.

“First time fast traveling?” Carson asked as he helped Travis up.

“Yeah, I guess.”   
“My first time I fainted,” Carson said with a laugh.   
“Yeah, because you’re a little bitch,” Ted called.

“Shut up Ted!”   
Ted laughed. “Help me pack up, those walls won’t last forever.”   
“How can I help? I’ve gotta repay you guys somehow.” Travis said.

Carson shook his head. “You don’t need to repay us, dude. You’re part of the team now, like it or not.”   
“Hope you like being rudely awakened!”   
“Hope you like snoring,” Travis joked.    
Carson groaned. “Oh god, you’re a  _ snorer _ ?”

Charlie.    
He had almost forgotten his name. Maybe he  _ did. _

Funny, how torture does that to you.

He stumbled through the grass, with only the light of the moon to guide him.

He wasn’t sure where he was headed, all he cared was that he was far, far, away from that place.

Who was that person? Would he ever see them again? Thank them for saving his life?

He hoped so. 

For now, he walked aimlessly.

He may be in the darkness, but it was more comforting than light could ever be.

Traveling with Travis was… not unpleasant, but it was new. For so long, it had been just Carson and Ted, a dynamic duo against the world. 

Travis was great, of course. He had a laugh that made you want to laugh too. He cooked with Ted without complaint. He snored, but thanks to the stone “tents” that Carson made it was relatively muffled.

He was just… unsettling at times. He could creep up behind you without you even noticing, then scare the everliving fuck out of you. He mentioned having a collection of mushrooms previously, lamenting how “he lost his boys!”

“Can’t you just grow new ones?” Ted asked him once.

Travis looked at him like he had grown a second head instead of new mushrooms. “No, then they wouldn’t be special.”   
Despite the oddness, the three of them got along well. They had been traveling for almost two weeks, staying away from villages and human-looking campsites. 

For the most part, they camped wherever looked safe. Sometimes that was in the middle of a field, other times between trees in a forest.

Tonight, they rested near a large lake, small campfire lit and smiles all around. 

Carson stared at the water as Ted entertained them with some story that was most likely only half true. It was flat, calm. Dark. He could just barely make out the shadows of what looked to be fish. 

As Ted finished his story, Travis fell back, exclaiming, “Ah! It was so hot today!”   
Ted groaned. “Ugh, I  _ know _ . Can’t say I’m looking forward to winters though.”   
“This lake probably has fish shit in it, but I’m washing my face,” Carson said, leaning over and scooping up some water.

“Ew, dude,” Travis said.

Carson splashed his face, looking over at him. “What? It’s hot, and the water’s nice, and-”   
And then a fist of water grabbed Carson tightly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!


	5. Fists of Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s a lot of pov shifting in this, so sorry if it gets confusing! There’s a lot of different sides to this part that need to get shown  
> hope you enjoy!

There were intruders in his home. And they needed to get out.

He was perfectly happy to stay at the bottom of his lake for all eternity, away from anyone and everyone.    
Of course, life had to find ways to force him out.

Carson was no stranger to water. Everyone needs it, everyone (hopefully) bathes. 

He had to say that being grabbed by a fist of water was a new and terrifying experience. 

The worst part was the fact he couldn’t breathe. That and not being able to move. Sounds were muffled, words barely making their way through as he struggled.

Just when he thought he couldn’t last any longer, when his lungs reached their capacity- he was released.

Not gently, of course. The fist unceremoniously opened and dropped him on the ground, leaving him gasping for air, curled up.

“Schlatt, you are many things. A pyromaniac, an absolute  _ asshole _ sometimes-”   
“Hey!”    
“It’s true, my man. I never thought you were an idiot, however. Well, I  _ didn’t _ until now.”   
Schlatt sighed. “You are  _ such _ a drama queen.”   
“Bearded dragons are in  _ no way _ better than snakes!”   
“Oh yeah? What’s so great about  _ snakes? _ They’re sneaky, they could kill you at any moment- ah, I understand why you like them so much now. You are  _ just _ like a snake.”   
“I take that as a compliment.”   
“You would.”   
It was safe to say this argument had been going on for at least half an hour.

Both men were too stubborn to back down nor admit the other one  _ might _ be right.

They probably would’ve gone longer, had it not been for the fist erupting from a nearby lake.

“I’m not hallucinating, right?” Noah said, squinting. “There is a fist made of water, correct?”   
“Yeah, looks to be. We should probably help. But know this discussion is  _ not _ over.”   
With that the two broke into a sprint, heading for the source of whatever the fuck was happening.

Ted likes to think he handles shocking things fairly well. He prides himself on quick reflexes and a calm outlook going into things.   
But this? This was new.

Everything happened far too fast for his comfort.

One minute, he was relaxing with friends, telling them stories.

The next, one of those friends was being held captive by a water elemental that was _ pissed _ .

“Get the fuck out!” He yelled, towering over them in an arm made of water.

Ted was speechless. It wasn’t his first time seeing one, but he had never seen an elemental- hell, he had never seen  _ anyone _ with this look in his eyes. The strangest mixture of fear, territorialism, and rage.

Travis saved them. He jumped in, yelling, “Sorry! We’ll be out as soon as you let go of our friend!”    
The elemental stared down for a second that lasted a year.

“Fine,” He said, tossing Carson at them. 

Then… it’s hard to describe. 

From his point of view, the elemental was awake, suspended in the water. 

Then he wasn’t.

Then, he was unconscious, floating on the surface of the lake.

For all it was said that elementals are rare, Carson had met a lot in the past couple weeks.

The two they met, who introduced themselves as Noah and Schlatt, were definitely something.

Noah was the one who saved them, he would find out.

“We saw that fist out of nowhere,” Noah explained. “So we just ran over and I did the only thing I could think of: I shocked the water.”   
“I mean, it worked!” Schlatt said, gesturing to the now-unconscious elemental.

Carson furrowed his brow. “I’m just worried about what we should  _ do  _ with him. It doesn’t seem like he’s really interested in the whole ‘friends’ business.”   
“For now, I say we get some rest, take turns watching him,” Schlatt suggested.

Travis volunteered to go first. “I’m not that tired, anyway.” He said cheerfully.

None of them knew what a mistake that would turn out to be.

Cooper woke with his hands tied behind his back and his entire body aching. He looked around, panicked. He seemed to be in some kind of stone tent, with only a sleepy-looking person keeping watch. Knife on his belt. As he stared, the guard met his eyes with surprise, and maybe a little bit of fear. 

"Oh! You're awake?" he asked. 

"Who the fuck are you, and where am I?" Cooper demanded. 

The guard winced. "Right. I'm T- I'm keeping watch." He almost said his name, Cooper noted. 

"Let me go." 

"I can't do that, I'm sorry." 

_ 'He's kind. easy to manipulate.' _ He didn't let the plan forming show on his face as he huffed a breath. "Well, fine then. I guess I'll just sit here tied up all alone." 

"You're not alone!" The guard assured him quickly. "I'm here!" 

"Yeah, well you're not exactly a friend. I'm tied up, remember." 

"W-well, yeah. But you- you tried to attack me! Me and my friends!" 

"Wait, that was  _ you? _ " Cooper said, surprised.  _ This _ was one of those invaders? 

"Yeah! You came out of nowhere! I'm glad Noah-" The guard covered his mouth. 

_ 'Noah. One of the others' _

"Whatever." He looked to the side, the picture of frustrated silence. 

They sat quietly for a while, the guard occasionally yawning. 

"Hey," Cooper said. The guard jumped. "I'm uh, I'm sorry for attacking you, or whatever. I thought you guys were going to try to do something to me. I guess the opposite happened, huh?" 

The guard brightened. "You're really sorry?" 

"Yeah, I'm really sorry." 

The guard smiled. It was almost blinding. "Good! I'm-" he cut himself off. " _ shoot, should I tell him my name?" _ He mumbled. 

"I'll tell you mine first." Cooper volunteered. "I'm Cooper." No harm in telling him that much.

"I'm Travis! I'm glad you apologized, now I just need to tell the others!" 

"Right now?" Cooper raised an eyebrow. 

Travis stopped in the middle of standing, clearly about to do just that. "Oh, maybe not. They're probably asleep." He sat back down, embarrassed. 

They lapsed into silence again, again interspersed with yawns. Cooper slowly began to shift around, pretending like he was uncomfortable. He was, but not nearly as much as he made to be. 

"Ow,  _ fuck _ ." He muttered.

"Are you okay?" Travis asked, worry flashing in his eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. These ropes just hurt like hell. They’re super fucking tight." 

"Maybe I could..." Travis reached for him, then hesitated. " _ wait, should I untie him? that could be bad..." _

"I won't try to hurt you," Cooper said. 

"Promise?" 

"I promise." 

"If you say so...  _ I hope I don't get in trouble for this... _ " Travis moved behind him, untying the tight ropes. 

When his hands were free, Cooper breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his wrists. Travis began to shuffle back to where he sat before, moving almost perfectly in front of Cooper. Lightning fast, Cooper lurched forward, grabbing first the knife then Travis. 

"Wha-" Travis yelped. 

Cooper gripped the knife. "Don't move."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!!


	6. The Ground Rising Up to Meet Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit late! I had a lot of trouble with inspiration this week.

Noah woke to a yell and knew something was wrong. He ran out as fast as he could, heading for where he knew it was coming from: the water elementals tent.

What he saw was not a pleasant sight.

The elemental, now fully awake and just as angry as before, was holding Travis hostage. 

“Stay back,” he growled. 

Noah met Travis’s eyes. Full of fear and shock, which was understandable. 

He didn’t want to have to hurt Travis- the poor guy was probably already hurt enough. 

“Sorry about this,” Noah said, hands crackling with familiar electricity. 

He raised his hands to shock both of them but was pushed to the side out of nowhere.    
At first, he panicked. Was someone else also attacking? Were all the new people in on it together?

His fears were luckily proven wrong as he realized it was Carson, awake, and moving into action.

A stone wall rose from the ground, shoving the elemental and Travis apart. Travis quickly scrambled away. 

“Alright, now lemme at ‘em,” Schlatt said, not far behind Carson. 

Carson shook his head. “Trust me on something.”   
“I can hear you, you pricks!” The elemental shouted from behind Carson’s wall. 

Ignoring him, Carson hastily rose his hands then pushed them down, bringing the wall down to reveal the elemental elbow-deep in the earth.

“Okay,” Carson sighed in relief. “We weren’t gonna get anywhere if we just kept knocking the guy out.”

Ted emerged from their tent, completely unaware of what just occurred. 

“I heard yelling and you guys weren’t there, what happened?”

“I told you that sleeping like a rock would bite you in the ass one day!” Carson said.    
Schlatt blinked incredulously at the air elemental. “Wait, you slept through  _ all _ of that?”

“All of _what?_ And Carson, I don’t want to hear it.”  
Travis shakily stood. “Cooper uh, tricked me.”  
“Cooper?” Ted asked.

“Hey!” The water elemental, presumably Cooper, yelled. “That’s me. Let me out, you fuckers.”   
“Yeah, we’re not gonna do that,” Schlatt said, taking a seat near him. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, just let me out. I’m not trying to hurt anyone-”   
“That’s what you said to me,” Travis interrupted.

“I-” Cooper stopped, looking away. 

“Travis,” Carson said gently. “Do you want to talk for a bit?”

Travis looked at Carson then walked into the tent silently.

Noah watched with concern. Sure, he had just met this Travis guy but  _ shit _ , he looked shaken up. 

But emotional support was never his strong suit. So he stayed where he was and hoped Carson was better at it than he would be.

“Travis. Talk to me, man.”    
Travis wrapped his arms around himself, avoiding Carson’s gaze.

“What  _ happened _ in there, Trav?”

“I… I don’t know. He seemed so genuine, and I thought he was just confused, and- I don’t know.”   
“What did he say to you?” Carson pressed.

He threw his arms up. “I don’t know! Something about how he was sorry and then he said his wrists hurt so I-”   
“Travis, did you  _ untie him _ ?” 

“YES! I’M SORRY, OKAY?” He exploded, holding back tears he knew were coming. “I know I messed up, you don’t need to remind me.”   
“Just…” Carson ran a hand through his hair. “Get some rest.”   
“Right.” Travis looked away as Carson stood, hesitating at the opening.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Travis.”   
He waited until he was sure Carson was gone before he curled up into a ball, wishing he could squeeze the thoughts out and away.

Surviving in the wilderness was a lot harder than Charlie thought it would be.

Finding food was hard enough, finding  _ edible _ food? Even harder.

He didn’t know the last time he had slept longer than a few hours.

At least the cold didn’t bother him. He could lie in the middle of a glacier and probably be fine for at least a couple hours.

He didn’t know why he stayed away from the other travelers he saw.

Something in his mind said for him to avoid them at all costs.

Being out in nature and sun and moonlight was beautiful and terrifying at the same time, which he supposed was miles better than before.

That’s what he told himself when he was close to giving up.

_ ‘At least you’re free. At least you never have to go back there again.’ _

But “free” didn’t always mean “safe”. 

He found that out the hard way.

Meaning he woke up to a hoard of very angry humans.

He wasn’t sure how they knew, until- well, shit. 

Maybe the outline of ice around him gave it away. That or the ice crystals in his hair.

At any rate, they were mad. And cruel.

“Ah, so the beast awakens!” One of them jeered.

“You should thank us,” Another spit. “We were so kind as to wait for you to wake up and everything.”

“Oh wow, you guys got a surprise party for me?” Charlie said excitedly. He looked behind him as if he had just noticed the lake behind him despite having slept there. “Oh my gosh! A  _ pool _ party, you guys shouldn’t have!”   
Several of them looked at him confusedly.

“Do you… think this is a birthday party?” A man holding a pitchfork asked.

“Of course!” Charlie said, standing. “What else would this be? Now, who’s gonna jump in the water first?”   
They stared at him.

“Ohh fine, I’ll do it.”    
Before they could react, he turned and promptly jumped into the water.

_ ‘I hope this works,’ _ He thought to himself. Squeezing his eyes shut, he used every drop of power in his hungry, exhausted body, and turned the lake to ice, sealing him inside in a cocoon of cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	7. Trusting Despite Danger

This Cooper guy was harder to crack than Schlatt expected. He’d been going at him for who-knows-how-long and hadn’t gotten anything out of him.

Noah wasn’t helping, either.

“What are you even trying to find out, Schlatt?” He asked, resting his chin on his hand.

“Oh, I don’t know! Why he attacked Travis, maybe?” Schlatt said sarcastically.

“I already told you, I just wanted to get out!” Cooper snapped. “Not my fault your  _ friend _ is easily tricked.” He muttered.

“ _ Watch it, _ ” Ted warned.

Schlatt turned to look at the man, who was leaning against their tent and watching with amusement alongside a worried Carson.

“Can’t one of you guys at least help me?”   
Ted grinned. “Do you  _ want _ help? Besides, it’s so entertaining to watch you struggle to ask this guy shit. It’s like an onesided conversation with really specific and personal questions.”   
“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Schlatt,” Noah said with a laugh. “You asked him at some point if he’s ever pissed his pants.”

“It’s an important question! Maybe it left him humiliated and wanting revenge!”

“Maybe you’re just bad at interrogating people,” Cooper said offhandedly.

“Bold words for a man elbow deep in the ground,” Noah replied.

“Whose side are you on here?” Schlatt asked, annoyance rising.

Noah raised his hands defensively. “I’m on your side, man! Banter is simply a language that transcends enemies.”

“You will be the death of me, Noah,” he sighed, putting his head in a hand.

“Wait.” Cooper narrowed his eyes. “ _ You’re _ Noah?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” He said, raising an eyebrow.

“So you’re the guy I have to blame for almost killing me?”   
“Oh?”   
“Don’t act like you don’t know, asshole. From what I can tell, you’re an electric elemental. And I  _ know _ that one of you fucks shocked the water while I was fucking in it. I could be dead right now!”   
Carson’s voice rang out, breaking from his silence up until then. “So could Travis.”   
“I-” Cooper slumped, defeated. “Fine.” He met Schlatt’s eyes. “You want the truth? Schlatt, or whatever your name is? I saw some intruders at my lake, and I wanted them out. I didn’t expect to get shocked by a fucking elemental and wake up with my hands tied behind my back.

“I just wanted to go back to my lake. Your friend- Travis. He just happened to be the best option.”   
Schlatt narrowed his eyes. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”   
“I-”   
“Boys,” Noah warned suddenly. “We’ve got trouble.”   
“What- oh, fuck.” Schlatt looked, following the man’s gaze across the lake. Humans. They looked to have seen them, but he couldn’t tell if they knew or not.

“How are we playing this?” Carson asked, glancing at Ted.

“Hey, we’re just a traveling group of humans.” He replied, character set in place.

They realized too late that, well, a guy up to his elbows in the ground wasn’t particularly normal, but the damage was done. They would just have to ad-lib it and hope for the best.

“Hey there!” Ted called, waving to the humans making their way towards them.

“Hello!” one man called back. “Interesting group you’ve got there!”

“Well, you know what they say, birds of a feather!” He said, throwing an arm around Carson’s shoulder, who laughed nervously.

“What do you mean by ‘birds of a feather?’” Another said cautiously. 

“Take it easy, Peter!” The first chided. “I’m sure these lovely men here aren’t elementals.”   
The group had, for better or for worse, reached their campsite.

“I’m Ted,” he introduced, extending a hand towards the first. 

“Milo,” the first said, taking the hand.

A woman from the group squinted behind Ted. “What happened with your, er,  _ pal _ there, and why is he inside the ground?”   
Shit.

They froze, then all spoke at once.

“There was a spot of quicksand!” Ted explained.

“He got stuck there from an elemental last night,” Carson said frantically.

“You see, he’s not actually in the ground.” Schlatt said. “It just  _ looks _ that way from where you’re standing.”   
Noah just sighed while Cooper began muttering curses under his breath.

The humans stared. 

“Come again?” The woman asked, suspicion rising.

They once again all talked at once, this time switching to another’s excuse.

“Oh my fucking god,” Cooper groaned.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Travis said, emerging suddenly from the tent. “I heard a bunch of yelling-oh, no.”   
“Wait a minute- are your tents made of  _ stone _ ? They look like they came right out of the ground!” Milo gasped. 

“No, of course not-” Ted tried.

“I  _ knew _ they were elementals!” The one from before- Peter- yelled. He pulled a knife from his belt. “Nobody move.”   
Ted grimaced. “Well,  _ this  _ isn’t how I wanted this interaction to go.” He said, quickly summoning a gust of wind to push them back.

They all began rushing around as Ted pooled all his concentration into keeping the humans at bay. Schlatt and Noah joined him on either side, ready to attack.

Carson began shoving things into bags, not bothering to get rid of the tents.

Travis, still very confused and running on either no or very little sleep, followed Carsons lead, stacking bags in his arms.

“ _ Hey! _ ” Cooper yelled. “Get me out of the ground! I can keep those humans away.”   
Carson stopped from where he was forcing a blanket into a backpack. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“I- I know it doesn’t mean much, but I  _ promise _ . You can do whatever you want with me after this- kill me, leave me, whatever. Just- don’t let me die from a damn human.”    
There was a desperation in his eyes.

“Travis?” Carson asked, meeting the plant elementals eyes.

“I…” He looked at Cooper. “ _ Please don’t let this backfire. _ ” He whispered though it wasn’t clear if he was talking to himself or Cooper. “Do it.”

The second Cooper was out of the ground, he grinned, sprinting towards the lake. Which was the opposite direction of the humans.

“ _ No. Nononono- _ ” Travis dropped the bags. “ _ Pleasenononono- _ ”   
Carson swallowed a scream of frustration. He should have known better.  _ Why did he trust him? _

Ted’s wind faltered, and the humans pushed closer. It faltered again. And again.    
They crept closer, weapons brandished and ready to attack.

Then he collapsed, the wind dissipating completely.

Schlatt and Noah were ready.    
But a dark shadow passed over them all, faster than any of them could look up to see.

Then it crashed down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Sorry this is late again, hoping this doesn't become a pattern D:


	8. Important Update

I am putting this story on an indefinite hiatus.  
I don't want to, I would love to keep writing it but I don't feel that I can give it the proper love to write a good story.  
I will most likely be writing other things I am more passionate about right now, though.  
I'm sorry.


End file.
